Already Forgiven
by Deserttail
Summary: A year after Kai dies Ray finds himself looking for Tala when he doesn't show up to the remembrance thing. TalaXRay


**I have no idea where this came from at all. Just started writing and ta-dah a small one shot about nothing appears! Amazing! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade!**

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><p>Darkness fell as storm clouds covered the sun moving fast across the sky, gale force winds starting from barely any wind before the torrential rain started. All the people in the city quickly found shelter, if they hadn't already. A single figure could be seen walking past buildings and a couple of parks. His eyes were squinted against the rain and his stride was long and fast as if something required his urgent attention elsewhere.<p>

Only when the local cemetery came into view did he falter for a brief second before continuing on into the graveyard. Most of the ground that wasn't cemented had turned to mud and it was hard to see where he was going as the rain got harder. In the distance he could see the blurry outline of another person and purposely made his way over to the grave.

"How can it have been a year already since the trip?" asked the figure by the grave as he approached. "It still feels like yesterday when it happened."

"I know Tal; he died an honourable death just like he would have wanted even if it wasn't his time to die," he replied, tears starting to fall down his checks as he remembered the moment the final blow had been struck.

"He should never have risked his life like that, Ray," Tala's clouded blue eyes turned to look at Ray.

"I know," Ray started hesitantly. "He made his own decisions in the end that sealed his fate... and saved mine."

Tears ran down his face as he broke, the familiar guilt, pain and sadness flooded through him. If he hadn't needed saving, if he hadn't done something completely stupid maybe this would never have happened and his friend would never had paid the ultimate price. He would always blame himself for what happened and he knew Tala would too.

The pair of them had barely spoken since the day it happened and even now Ray was only here because Tala had not turned up to the one year remembrance thing. "I'm sorry," murmured the younger blader starting to walk away feeling he wasn't helping the Russian cope, it had just occurred to him he probably made it worse.

"Wait," gasped Tala, catching Ray on the shoulder and spinning him to look into his eyes. "I know it wasn't really your fault, even if your actions caused his death. He didn't have to jump in to save you and sometimes I wish he never had and you had died instead but in the end it was what he wanted. I know he never really seemed loyal throughout his life but he would never abandon a friend in need and I think I'm being disloyal to him by blaming you. It was just so hard to watch my best friend die when I was powerless to save him. I had to blame somebody and you were the obvious choice but that was wrong. You don't need forgiveness, I do."

"No, I have already forgiven you, long ago my beautiful wolf," Ray whispered almost inaudibly.

The fact that the two of them had been so close, they had in fact been dating at the time though no one else but the deceased had ever known made the death and blame worse than it had already been. "I should have been there for you, by your side but instead we were too far apart because we didn't want anybody to know," Tala paused before looking away, tears welling in his eyes. "I blame myself as much as I do you."

Ray couldn't help the affection he felt for the Russian, something he had not felt for a long time. "What's happened has happened, we can't change the past."

Both of them stood there staring at each other, looking completely distressed and soaked through. When the older blader saw Ray shivering he wrapped his pale arms around him and drew him close and the two took a little comfort from the other close presence like they hadn't for a year. They stood like this looking at the grave for well over an hour before the rain and wind became too much even for them.

In a silent agreement they headed towards the restaurant where the one year remembrance thing was being held. As soon as they walked in everyone stared at them, water dripping on the floor from their clothes.

"Ray, what happened to you?" came a voice from the crowd.

Ray ignored them, instead his amber eyes scanning everyone before taking a seat and putting his head in his hands. No one came over to him instead they backed away slightly knowing he wanted to think on his own. He had distanced himself from almost everyone he knew ever since the death, not on purpose it just seemed to have happened and the others have long given up trying to help him.

"Oh my sweet little kitten you have suffered as much as I have over the past year," whispered Tala from his left, the Russian had come over to the surprise of everyone in the room. "The memories they plaque us, give us nightmares, torture us while we are awake and we can't escape them. We both blame ourselves for what happened, imagining what it would have been like if we'd acted differently. They do not understand our blame; how it affected us as a couple that it tore us apart weighing us down further. They don't understand our pain and they never will. They have moved on, his memory will slowly fade in them but never in us. From now on I'll be here for you, we have walked similar paths and we can help each other finally recover. Also remember this, Ray; I always loved you through all the pain and I will never abandon you again."

Ray looked up at Tala, tears streaking his face and his eyes dull. A feeling of hope rose in him slowly. "Thank you, I'll always be here for you as well," he said as evenly as he could, though it didn't work well.

Tala gave the younger blader a small sad smile; they would work through this and live a life that his best friend would have been proud of.

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><p><strong>Anyway this was orginally going to be longer but I decided to stop there :)<strong>


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